PC PROMISES: Andrew Scheer pledges to be tougher on crime & more!

A federal Conservative government would crack down on gang-related crimes with tougher sentences and stricter bail rules, Leader Andrew Scheer promises.

Rather than bring in a handgun ban – as requested by Toronto Mayor John Tory and under consideration by the Justin Trudeau government – Scheer said he would make it easier to identify gang members and keep them in jail.

(WATCH above for Scheer’s comments!)

“Gang crimes, particularly gang murders, have been on the rise,” he said Thursday during a stop in Brampton.

“We have seen several shocking incidents of gang violence summer including a shooting on a children’s playground not too far away from here.”

Two young girls were hit by gunfire while playing in a Scarborough playground, innocent bystanders who took bullets apparently meant for someone else.

The Conservatives’ anti-crime announcement came on the same day the Trudeau government announced $85.5 million for initiatives to combat gun and gang violence, including stepped-up measures at the border to prevent illegal guns entering from the United States.

Scheer said that if his party forms a federal government next year, they would guarantee that repeat “gang offenders” are held without bail.

Parole would be revoked if an offender affiliates with a criminal gang, and the gang leaders would be subject to stiffer mandatory penalties for ordering criminal acts — as would anyone who committed a gang-related crime, he said.